Small earthquake recorded in central Oklahoma

PRAGUE, Okla.
(AP)
–
A small earthquake hit central Oklahoma just in time for Thanksgiving dinner.

Sponsored Links

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a 3.7 magnitude quake about 3:11 p.m. Thursday near Prague, Okla. The epicenter of the quake was 17 miles northeast of Shawnee and 44 miles east of Oklahoma City.

There weren't any immediate reports of damage or injuries, said Jessica Elder, a 911 dispatcher in surrounding Lincoln County. She said she felt the quake, which she described as more of a boom than a rumble.

Geologists say earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 to 3.0 are generally the smallest felt by humans.

But Elder hadn't received many calls about the quake — perhaps because people in the region are growing accustomed to them, she said.

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake centered close to nearby Sparks shook the state on Nov. 5. That quake, the strongest ever recorded in Oklahoma, damaged more than 40 homes, buckled part of a highway and caused the collapse of a tower at St. Gregory's University in Shawnee.

Gov. Mary Fallin has requested a federal disaster declaration in the wake of a series of earthquakes that have rumbled through the state in recent weeks.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.